Disclaimer

Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review routinely receives books from Publishers and Authors for review consideration. When in doubt assume the book comes from a Publisher or if you follow my New Procurement posts I usually describe the source of said book. I still buy a lot of books as well.

The to-read pile goes ever on. This week brought a slew of books I've been hoping would come my way including my first anticipated read of 2011 along with a few titles that were entirely new to me.

Bloodshot by Cherie Priest - Priest is turning her hand to Urban Fantasy and given the work she has been doing lately I'm happy to welcome her to the UF club. She has always excelled at creating strong female protagonists and now we have a vamp thief coming to us January 25th.

The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers - Huzzah! Huzzah! Sorry that deserves two huzzahs because I've been looking forward to this for a while and Pyr used a quote from my review of Akers' debut The Heart of Veridon on the back cover. Maybe they'll use it on the final? That would be a first for me. This is the first in the Eva Forge series from Akers. November release.

The Buntline Special by Mike Resnick - Another of Pyr's steampunk offerings for this Fall and this one looks to be quite a hoot. Resnick takes on the Weird West, which sounds about right to me. December release.

The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel - A mix Dumas and dragons looks to be an exciting read that the Wertster had many nice thing to say about. Pyr just has too much good stuff coming out at the end of the year to ignore. November release.

Will Power by A.J. Hartley - This is a standalone follow-up to Act of Will, which was supposedly a bit of alright. I just may have to check it out if the mood strikes me, which it often does with an author new to me. September release.

Lady Lazarus by Michelle Lang - Another new to me author and Tor is throwing out some big series names in the description. Despite mentioning Twilight the reference to Dresden and there being angel fights is enough to catch my eye.

With the romance of Twilight, the suspense of The Dresden Files, and the delicious thrills of True Blood, the enthralling saga of Magdalena Lazarus unfolds. Descended from the legendary witch of Ein Dor, she alone holds the power to summon the angel Raziel and stop Hitler and his supernatural minions from unleashing total war in Europe. The Nazis have fighters more fearsome than soldiers, weapons more terrifying than missiles, and allies that even they are afraid of SS werewolves; the demon Asmodel who possesses a willing Adolf Hitler, and other supernatural creatures all are literally hell-bent on preventing Magda from possessing the Book of Raziel, a magical text with the power to turn the tide against Hitler’s vast war machine.

Magda, young and rebellious, grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Budapest, unaware of her family’s heritage. When her mother dies, Magda--ready or not--is the Lazarus, who must face the evil that holds Europe in an iron grip. Unready to assume the mantle of her ancient birthright, but knowing that she must fight, she sets out across Europe searching for the Book. Magda is desperate enough to endanger her soul by summoning the avenging angel Raziel. When she sees him in the glory of his celestial presence, her heart is utterly, completely lost…

A Star Shall Fall by Marie Brennan - Brennan has always been praised for her ability to mix historical happenings with Fantasy well. This time around she combines Fairy politics, Haley's Comet, and the Great Fire of 1666.

Stars and Gods by Larry Niven - When this showed up I was a bit confused. Is it a short story collection? A collection of Niven's non-fiction writing? Yes and yes. This looks like a book a huge Niven fan would adore with some new and hard to find pieces included, but also a place for people like me who have just read Ringworld for the first time to delve a bit further.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson - This is the final copy of one of the biggest series debut this year. The art is even more impressive than it was in the galley as a lot of pieces were added and there are some beautiful end paper pieces. Tor didn't hold anything back with this production. Tor has already had to go back to reprint even before the book is released. So collectors out there take note. Be sure to check the copyright page for a fully intact number line to ensure you get the true first edition.